Monday coffee times in March and April were supplemented with mouth-watering baked goods, as 11 members of staff took turns to bring in their chosen baking challenges from the previous week’s Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up 2 Cancer, known as SU2C for short.
HR Administrator Emma Graham, who organised the friendly competition, says: “It’s been fun, and it’s a good way to start the week. It’s also been nice because it’s brought a lot of people together.”
The bake off challenge has also raised over £170 for the Stand Up 2 Cancer charity. Each baker contributed £10 to take part, and other people who were lucky enough to ‘taste test’ the baked goods also made donations.
Emma says the original idea came when she was on holiday in September 2022, just after several Covid lockdowns. She met two nurses who told her how they organised a bake-off with other medical staff as a morale booster during lockdown. It didn’t matter if somebody didn’t know how to bake – the main point was to bring people together and have fun.
The first Chemistry Stand Up 2 Cancer bake off was held in spring 2023. Emma took part along with Research Personnel Administrator Rachael Jefferies, Senior Secretary Jacqui Worster, Head of Department PA Chloe Barker and Research Administrator Jo Lockhart.
The event turned out to be a real laugh with entrants having to represent a bad memory from their childhood in meringue, and create a childhood field trip out of biscuits (Jo’s Colchester Castle was especially memorable!).
Emma was encouraged to organise a longer bake off in the autumn to accompany the regular series (see story and photos here). She says: “One of the really positive things about it is that people who have never baked have done marvellous jobs, like Lisa Masters with her delicious tarte aux pomme and wonderful iced fancies. It also wouldn’t be as fun if everybody made a perfect bake every time, the fun comes from learning and from the mistakes!”
See below for pictures and descriptions of the Stand Up 2 Cancer bakes. Emma plans to organise another bake off in the autumn, which is open to all members of the department – please see Emma in the Admin office if you are interested in taking part.
Week One
Both bakers chose the Signature bake, which was to make identical cake pops, with their own choice of flavours.
Week Two
For Week Two, Lisa chose the Technical challenge, while Emma decided to make the Showstopper, whose theme was: "A cake representing an epic faiilure in my life." Emma says: "I went camping with friends but only took the sleeping compartment of the tent which was not waterproof, and of course it rained. We had eight people in a flooded sleeping compartment made for two!"
Week Three
In Week Three, Nathan went for the Technical challenge, which was vegan iced rings topped with 'beautifully feathered icing', while Xani opted for the Signature bake, her own version of the classic 70s 'Arctic roll', a light sponge roll filled with ice cream.
Week Four
This week, three bakers joined in the fun! All opted for the delicious-sounding Technical challenge: Chocolate and raspberry roulade
Jo (left), Tessa (centre), Agata (right).
Jo went all out and also made the Signature bake:
Soft, sweet buns adorned with icing.
Week Five
For the final week, both bakers chose to make the Signature bake, which was identical biscuit bars with either a sandwich or top filling.
Jacqui: Lemon bars.